Wednesday, December 31, 2014

One by one, the infamous Gibbons sisters of
Chesterton, Virginia, are giving up their gold digging ways--except the eldest,
who's holding out for her seven figure man. But her heart may have less
expensive tastes. . .

Thanks to her cold-hearted ways with men,
Cynthia Gibbons doesn't blame the folks in town for calling her the "Ice
Queen." They don't know the secret she's kept for twenty years--that she
once fell crazy in love with a guy who had no money, a guy who broke her heart
in the worst possible way. But now Korey Walker is back in town, and Cynthia
isn't sure how much longer she can keep the biggest secret of all--that she still
loves him.

With a divorce behind him, and his new auto
repair shop thriving, Korey is looking to the future--until he sets eyes on
Cynthia and the past comes roaring back. Even now, Korey doesn't understand
Cynthia's hostility--after all, she's the one who broke his heart. He decides
to ignore her--until he discovers that his teenage son has fallen for Cynthia's
daughter. Determined to stop history from repeating itself, Korey and Cynthia
will have to band together. But will keeping their kids apart bring them
closer--or destroy their lives for good?

Cynthia turned to follow his gaze. She spotted
a tow truck gliding toward them with its engine chugging loudly, drowning out
the other roadway noise.

The truck was haloed by the afternoon sun.
Cynthia raised her hand to her brow to block out the blinding light. She
squinted. When she recognized the man in the driver’s seat, her bright smile
faded. Her mouth fell open, aghast.

Cynthia glanced nervously at Derrick as the
truck came to a stop not far from where they stood. Her pulse started to race.
Her throat went dry. Sweat instantly formed on her brow and underneath her
arms. She felt cornered, like a bank robber who had flubbed a getaway after a
robbery, had hit a dead end, and now saw red and white flashing lights swirling
behind her.

The driver of the tow truck killed the engine
and threw open his car door. Cynthia fought the urge to bolt. Her car wasn’t
that far away. She could make it before he even reached them. Instead, she
forced herself to stay put and watched as he climbed out of the truck and
stepped onto the asphalt. After slamming the door shut, he casually strolled
toward them.

God, he
hasn’t changed! Even after all these years, Cynthia thought.

Korey Walker still looked the same way he had
looked almost twenty years ago when they were in high school together, except
now he had a few sprinkles of gray hair on his head and in the beard stubble on
his russet-brown cheeks. But he was still tall, still muscular, and still
handsome as the devil, which was one reason why she had avoided going anywhere
near his auto body and repair shop in Chesterton since he had opened it a
little more than a year ago.

Back when they were younger, Korey had been the
kryptonite to her Superman, and she had been powerless under his spell. Though
decades had passed since those days, Cynthia feared she would be powerless
again if she got near him—and she didn’t need the confusion he could bring to
her life. Korey was not the right man for her now, just as he hadn’t been the
right man for her back then. But there was no avoiding him today.

“Thanks for coming, man,” Derrick said,
stepping forward. He and Korey embraced, then shook hands and slapped one
another’s backs.

They were quite the contrast: Derrick in his
chic, immaculate suit, and Korey in his oil- and greased-stained navy blue
shirt and pants, with grime on his hands and dirt under his nails. But even in
his shoddy attire, Korey was by far the sexier of the two.

Hands
down, she thought.

Author Info

Shelly Ellis is the penname of women's fiction/romance author and creator of the Gibbons Gold Digger series. Her fiction writing career began when she became one of four finalists in a First-Time Writers Contest when she was 19 years old. The prize was a publishing contract and having her first short-story romance appear in an anthology. Since then she has published six novels and two short stories in anthologies.

She is married and lives in Maryland with her husband and their daughter.

In Kismet, Michigan, Christmas is special: big fluffy snowflakes, sleigh bells, carolers singing. It’s a picture-perfect holiday—you just have to choose who’s in the frame…

Jason Hamilton is on thin ice with the board of his toy company. The young CEO may be a kid at heart, but his party boy reputation requires damage control. So Jason’s off to Kismet to inspect a model store, stay on Santa’s Nice list, and stick to business—no goofing around. Which is too bad, because the store manager, Danielle Sharpe, is the definition of what makes Naughty fun…

Danielle is thrilled to show off her thriving little toy store—especially if it’s her ticket out of Kismet. The single mom is tired of manufacturing cheer solo while her ex-husband has all the fun. But if she’d known Jason was this hot, she wouldn’t have offered to host him. With Jason in her house, Danielle is getting warmer than spiked cider. She’s supposed to impress him with her expertise, not daydream about catching him under the mistletoe. Now whatever she does, she can’t get swept up in the magic…

When she
sat down to write her first book, LISA
PLUMLEY expected the process to be easy. Three tries and several years
later, she realized it’s not easy—but it is the most fun to be had outside of
shoe shopping. Now the bestselling author of more than a dozen books, Lisa
lives in sunny Arizona with her husband and two children. She invites readers
to visit her website, www.lisaplumley.com, for previews of upcoming books and
more.

Lindsay Miller is knee-deep in
Christmas cards and homemade fudge, but she’s never felt more like a Grinch.
Why can’t Christmas be full of magic, like in her favorite movie, A Christmas Carol…?

…Enter
Fred, a sexy and eccentric stranger who arrives at Lindsay’s door out of the
blue. Dressed like he just stepped out of a Dickens novel, complete with
British accent, Fred claims he’s a Messenger, sent from “Headquarters” to help
her discover the joy of Christmas. But is Fred an angel from above—or just
stone cold crazy?

Fred’s used
to dealing with skeptics. Telling a stranger you’ve been ordered to inspire
holiday cheer is a tough sell. But there’s a further complication. Fred’s
mission is to help Lindsay right the wrongs from her past that have been
holding her back. But somehow along the way, they’ve become wildly attracted to
each other—and falling in love is not
part of the plan. Fred only has ‘til the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve to
guide Lindsay to the magical future she deserves—even if it’s a future without
him…

Ski
instructor Annie Bennett doesn’t have time to miss the twinkling lights and
holiday parties in Aspen and Vail. With her older brothers gone and winter just
around the corner, her parents need help with their sprawling Colorado ranch.
The most wonderful time of the year isn’t always easy for a lot of the folks in
their town, but Annie does her best—until the tall, dark, and rugged surveyor
on their neighbor’s land becomes a potent distraction…

Wyoming
born and bred, Marshall Stone is a practical man. But there’s something about
Annie that’s as wild and sweet as the mountain wind. He doesn’t want to tame
her. Just love her. Annie Bennett is all he wants for Christmas. And for
always. But she’s too wary to believe he means it. Until he takes her in his
arms and explains without saying a single word…

Janet
Dailey’s first book
was published in 1976. Since then she has written more than 100 novels and
become one of the top-selling female authors in the world, with 300 million
copies of her books sold in nineteen languages in ninety-eight countries. She
is known for her strong, decisive characters, her extraordinary ability to
recreate a time and a place, and her unerring courage to confront important,
controversial issues in her stories.

Now that they’ve happily married off
two of their grandchildren, Anna and Felty Helmuth are ready for their next
matchmaking challenge. What better way to celebrate the most heartwarming of
seasons—and make Huckleberry Hill, Wisconsin, the place for unexpected love…

A difficult
marriage has left the Helmuths’ widowed great-granddaughter, Beth, finished
with wedlock. She’s content to live with them and make a life for herself and
her toddler son. But once she turns down handsome Tyler Yoder’s proposal, it
seems only fair to encourage him to find a suitable wife. Trouble is, his
gentleness and generous ways are showing her how joyous a real meeting of
hearts can be. . .

After a
failed courtship, Tyler thought the best he could hope for in a wife was mere
companionship. But spirited Beth is the one he longs to protect, and hold
close. Earning her trust is the hardest thing he’s ever had to do. And soon,
both will discover that forgiveness and understanding are gifts that only
rekindled faith—along with the happiest of holidays—can bring.

Jennifer Beckstrand is the bestselling
author of The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series and the Forever
After in Apple Lake series, set in two Amish communities in beautiful
Wisconsin. She has always been drawn to the strong faith and the enduring
family ties of the Plain people and loves writing about the antics of Anna and
Felty Helmuth. Jennifer has a degree in mathematics and a background in
editing. She and her husband have been married for thirty years, and she has
four daughters, two sons, and two adorable grandsons, whom she spoils rotten.Readers can visit her website at www.jenniferbeckstrand.com

Having long
since lost his Christmas spirit, Rudi comes to Santa’s Secret Village looking
to sell the resort. His seven-year-old daughter already knows the truth about
Santa, and neither of them is particularly in the mood for the festive season.

Practically
a recluse since the death of her husband, Eva’s not looking for romance. Her
trip to Santa’s Village is for the sole purpose of making Christmas more
festive this year for her young son. But Eva brings an unexpected sparkle to
Rudi and Isabel’s lives that renews their belief in the spirit of Christmas.

As the
weather grows colder, things heat up between Rudi and Eva. But will the magic
still be there when they wake on Christmas morning?

Serenity Woods lives in the sub-tropical Northland of New Zealand with her wonderful husband and gorgeous teenage son. She writes fun, flirty, sweet and sexy contemporary romances. She would much rather immerse herself in reading or writing romance than do the dusting and ironing, which is why it’s not a great idea to pop round if you have any allergies.

The tourist town of South Cove,
California, is a lovely place to spend the holidays. But this year, shop owner
Jill Gardner discovers there’s no place like home for homicide…

As owner of
Coffee, Books, and More, Jill Gardner looks forward to the hustle and bustle of
holiday shoppers. But when the mayor ropes her into being liaison for a new
work program, ‘tis the season to be wary. Local businesses are afraid the
interns will be delinquents, punks, or worse. For Jill, nothing’s worse than
Ted Hendricks—the jerk who runs the program. After a few run-ins, Jill’s ready
to kill the guy. That, however, turns out to be unnecessary when she finds Ted
in his car—dead as a doornail. Detective Greg King assumes it’s a suicide. Jill
thinks it’s murder. And if the holidays weren’t stressful enough, a spoiled
blonde wants to sue the city for breaking her heel. Jill has to act fast to
solve this mess—before the other shoe drops…

Lynn
Cahoon is a
multi-published author. An Idaho native, her stories focus around the depth and
experience of small town life and love. Currently she lives in a small historic
town on the banks of the Mississippi where her imagination tends to wander. She
lives with her husband and two fur babies.

Thursday, December 25, 2014

To
all who celebrate, Merry Christmas!! To those who don’t celebrate Christmas,
Happy Holidays!! And a great big thank you to Illustrious Illusions for hosting
today’s blog post promoting my Loveswept Contemporary Romance, Loving
You Is Easy.

Since
today is Christmas it seems like the perfect time to talk about the gifts
exchanged by Brooke and Shane, the heroine and hero in Loving You Is Easy. First
I’ll tell you a little bit about them.

Brooke
is a 24-year-old junior high school math teacher from a wealthy, upper class
family. Shane is a 25-year-old blue collar bad boy turned soldier in the U.S.
army, serving his fourth tour of active combat duty in Afghanistan. The two met
as part of a “Support Our Troops” initiative that matched U.S. soldiers serving
overseas with pen pals from back home.

Now
you’ll have to read Loving You Is Easy to find out what happens after Shane returns
home wounded (without telling Brooke) and after one of the sexy pictures she
gave to him winds up on Facebook where her students and their parents and her
principal see it.

As
of December 2014, they are spending their first holiday season as husband and
wife. Since Brooke is Jewish and celebrates Chanukah, I’ll start with the small
gifts Shane gave Brooke on each of the eight nights of Chanukah.

Night
one: A jelly donut.

Once
again Shane decided to go with something traditional from Brooke’s childhood. Apparently
Chanukah was one of the rare times Brooke’s mother lifted her ban on sweets in
their house and only because jelly donuts are a Chanukah tradition. (Of course
he got one for himself, too, so she wouldn’t have to eat alone.)

Night
two: A bright blue beta fish.

Shane
really wants a dog. Brooke’s never had a pet and doesn’t seem all that
receptive to getting one. So he’s starting her off with a nice easy beta fish.

Night
three: A bottle of the perfumed lotion she likes.

And
since he insisted on giving her a full body massage with it after she ripped
off the wrapping, they both enjoyed this gift…immensely.

Night
four: A New York Rangers winter hat with a big pom pom.

As
a longtime New Jersey Devils fan this was a tough purchase. But men in love
must learn the art of compromise. And she really appreciated the gesture so
this was a big win!

These
made her very happy. And after sharing them, Brooke proceeded to make Shane
very happy!

Night
six: A new negligee

And
when she tried it on this one turned out to be a present for both of them!

Night
seven: A beautiful silver locket and necklace

Although
Brooke had urged him to keep his presents small and inexpensive, he couldn’t
help but to splurge on this one. And he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to
tuck a sexy selfie of his own inside.

Night
eight: Shane presented Brooke with his brand new tattoo, a red heart, just to
the right of his heart. Inside the heart was written: Brooke forever, because
just like the permanent ink that decorated his skin, his love for her would
last forever.

Brooke
loved each one of her presents and Shane deemed Chanukah a success. The only
bad part was then he had to wait for Christmas to get his gifts. Although Shane
would never admit it out loud, he’s a snooper. But despite searching their
entire apartment – several times – he could not find where Brooke had stashed
his gifts. Perhaps he shouldn’t have shared that part of himself in one of the
letters they’d exchanged while he was overseas.

On
Christmas morning the family gathered at his parents’ house to open presents.
Shane noted Brooke had nothing with her but the coconut macaroons she’d agreed
to make and a small purse. But as they sat in front of the beautifully
decorated tree she gave him the best present ever! A one-year-old (give or take
a few months) black Labrador Retriever from the local pet shelter along with a
New Jersey Devils collar and matching leash, food and water bowls, chew toys
and a bed. And Shane could not be happier – at least that’s what he’d thought until
his wife of not quite one year leaned in and whispered the words that made him
even happier, “I’m pregnant.”

So
that’s how Brooke and Shane made out this holiday season. How’d you do? What
was your favorite gift this year?

Blurb

She’s a survivor of the front lines of
politics. He’s a wounded soldier returning home from the battlefield. Can they
place their trust in the power of love?

Nobody plays the role of perfect
politician’s daughter better than quiet, respectable math teacher Brooke
Ellstein. But she won’t be caught swimming with the sharks again, not after the
son of a wealthy donor sinks his teeth into her and gets away with it. Still,
political connections have their perks, such as heading up the governor’s
“Support Our Troops” pen-pal initiative—and getting first dibs on the
smoking-hot sergeant whose picture shakes her right down to her
goody-two-shoes.

When corresponding with sweet, classy
Brooke, Shane Develen instinctively hides his commando tattoos and blue-collar
roots—and he can tell that she’s hiding something, too. But Shane knows he’s
gained her trust when Brooke gives him a blisteringly sexy photo. Then he’s
injured in an ambush and a fellow soldier posts the snapshot online. Overnight,
Brooke’s reputation turns to ashes. Even though he’s totally wrong for her,
Shane shows up on Brooke’s doorstep, determined to set things right—and
discovers that right or wrong has nothing on the chemistry they share.

Wendy
S. Marcus is an award-winning author of contemporary romance. A nurse by trade,
Wendy holds a Master of Science in Health Care Administration, a degree that
does her absolutely no good as she now spends her days, nights, and weekends
mucking around in her characters’ lives creating conflict, emotion, and, of
course, a happily ever after. Wendy lives in the beautiful Hudson Valley region
of New York. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family,
which includes her dog Buddy, and blogging/e-mailing/tweeting/facebooking with
her online friends.

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